4.5 at least! Such an enthralling novel! One could call this one almost a sequel to any on the Teutoberg or Varian Disaster. Severus Varus, a young man, is some sort of cousin [2nd?] to P. Quinctilius Varus, who with three legions had been ambushed and wiped out in Germania. Severus and the whole Varus clan are dishonored by his
[in]famous relative's name. Severus and his grandfather, a senator, become social pariahs. [His father has died in Pannonia]. Severus vows to Augustus that he will recover the three lost eagles. This would restore the family honor and that of Rome. The main thrust of the story is Severus's quest for the three eagles. Upon the advice of his grandfather's good friend, rather than just rushing off and joining Germanicus's legions in their expedition to Germania where he would be just one man among thousands, he learns the German language and culture from a German slave. [Probably in real life a Roman patrician would not have done this; it would have been considered beneath him, but please allow for this plot device.] He is commissioned as a tribune in the army and goes to Germania to fulfill his boyish promise to the emperor. Impressing Germanicus, his language skills are a big help all through the story.

I was captivated by this novel. Well written in a simpler time [1955] and unjustifiably neglected now, it is not as slick and sophisticated as many of the recent Roman novels. I feel it has stood the test of time. The characterizations were excellent--from the Romans, especially Severus, to the Germans. [I would be surprised if Graves hadn't read his Tacitus on Germania.] Battles, skirmishes and the final one-on-one conflict with his Roman enemy from boyhood were as good as those I've read elsewhere. The last third of the novel takes Severus through a horrendous winter journey alone and unaided to a German tribe where he is very sure the very last eagle of the three is located. He represents himself as a deserter from the Roman army and is sheltered by the Germans, in time becoming a respected member of their society. The conclusion is heart-breaking. I hope some of you will seek out and read this novel. It is unforgettable and worth your time and money. ( )